(GM's note- Brittany couldn't make it so we had a guest player Steve run Caeli. Nick could only play for part, Jack ran Andre)
Summary
Eleasis 29
The party leaves Fydale after seeing the survivors of the Yuan-ti plague experiments cured and turned over the authorities for help. They set out on the road to Rashem and eventually Mulsantir. A week's journey takes them along the border of Thay, and they pass through Tioka where they fought an undead invasion.
Eleint 7
The adventurers arrive in Surcross and getting Mirag through the gates into the city takes a little persuasion of the gate guards. They get rooms at the Sleeping Goat, Mirag is settled in the stables, unfortunately. Andre is offered a fine, luxury room by the innkeeper, Thorn is down the hall and Caeli, Kiri, and Risa share a room across the hall from Andre. They do a little shopping in town and Kiri gets a bunch of healing potions for the party.
Eleint 8
In the middle of the night, something disturbs Caeli and Risa and they wake up to see three dark clad figures with drawn weapons standing over them! Risa grabs her staff and beats her attacker to the ground. He shouts something in Thieves' Cant and covers his eyes, as do the other attackers. The wounded assassin rips open an envelope and burning powder fills the room with a blinding flash. Caeli is blinded, but not Risa and Kiri wakes up. The two assassins strike and severely wound Kiri and Caeli with poisoned blades.
Caeli recovers from the blindness and attacks an assassin with Ray of Frost. The crippled assassin tries to crawl out of the room, but Risa finishes him and attacks the one attacking Caeli and knock him to the ground. Andre wakes up, grabs his axe and charges into the hallway and is attacked by two more assassins! He counterattacks and wounds one severely. Thorn has heard the ruckus, grabs Bloodletter and runs into the hall with cat speed, charging the assassins on Andre and kills one. Mirag was awakened by the noise and rushes from the stables; two more assassins jump him as he leaves! He turns into a blur of claw attacks and rips the first assassin to shreds (two claw attacks followed by Action Surge and two more attacks). Before the assassins can finish Caeli or Kiri, Kiri grabs the Heartstring Harp and begins to play and casts Luring Melody through the harp. The last two assassins lower their blades and follow her into the hallway. The assassin outside turns his back on Mirag and enters the inn through a door.
Thorn, Risa, and Andre attack the two assassins in the hall and kill one. Mirag wildshapes into a wolf and charges after the one downstairs and bites his leg to hold him back. He shakes off the Luring Melody and stabs Mirag, dispelling the wolf form and causing Mirag to grow to full size inside the inn! Caeli ties up her attacker and casts Detect Thoughts to find out who they are. Risa heads to the stairs to go downstairs.
Andre and Thorn finish the last assassin upstairs. Risa gets down to the common room to help Mirag finish his last enemy.
With the quiet, people are starting to show up and ask questions. Town guards are approaching outside. The innkeeper is yelling about blood and bodies in his hallway. Andre gets everyone calmed down, the party pays for all the other guests' rooms and throws an equal amount to the innkeeper. The officer of the watch arrives and questions everyone. Caeli hands over the only survivor and his unholy symbol of the church of Shar and shows his tattoos as member of their assassin's guild. The dead assassins all have unholy symbols and tattoos as well. The guards clean up the bodies and take the prisoner and interview the party.
Once all the fuss is over, Caeli says she read the prisoner, they are worshippers of Shar, whose servants were responsible for stealing the Harp and taking over the Sune church in Furthinghome. They were sent to kill Kiri and recover the Harp. Unfortunately, he was not the leader and didn't know more details. The party sleeps late the next day and rides out of town headed for Surcross.
Eleint 11
Three rainy days have passed as the party approaches Surcross. During a dry spell, the spot a hunched figure in a tattered orange hooded cloak walking along the road, leaning on a staff. The figure turns as they approach and they see a hideous, birdlike creature that greets Risa by name in a cackling voice. It is the Nagpa who stole Qai's soul and body to penetrate the monastery's archives! But as they speak to it, they realize it's not really there, it's an illusion projected by some kind of spell. It knows some of the things they have done and learned. It offers a deal, it will trade Qai's soul gem if they go to the Feywild, speak to the Hags of the Divine Meadow and get an Unravelling from them so it can undo the curse of the Raven Queen. When asked how they can trust it, it replies that when they meet for the exchange, it will hand over the gem first to allow them to examine it before they trade the Unravelling, but only if they show it the Unravelling first. Risa asks the Nagpa its name and it says they may call it Iakin, it's not the name they were born with, but one it has used in the past. It tells them to continue to Surcross and stay at the Thrown Dagger inn where they stayed before, the innkeeper has a packet for them. Then the illusion vanishes. The party continues on and also confers some with Orac what they have learned. Kiri also questions Orac about finding Nyvana and Orac says a Conjure Fey cast by a druid or fey warlock may work, but they will also need something attractive to the fey in question and Kiri realizes she can use the lullaby she sang to Nyvana as a child. In place of a live caster, Orac offers another possibility, that of using a spell scroll for the conjuration. While Orac has the knowledge, it cannot obviously write a scroll. However, if it is given permission, it can leave its skull and possess the body of someone with arcane power and use them to write the scroll. Caeli is a possibility if she would agree to the possession. However, she does not currently have the power to write a scroll of that power, but she might be able to write a lesser spell, under Orac's control. Caeli says she will have to consider that.
Eleint 12
The party arrives in Surcross and Risa tries to get some alcohol, but the local wineshop is out of her monastery's product, it sells too fast. She does buy some fine dwarven brandy. Kiri buys more healing potions. They go to the inn and get rooms, and the innkeeper hands them a packet in sealed waterproof canvas. It is very light; there can't be many papers inside. After a great deal of hesitation, Caeli opens it with Mage Hand outside. Inside is a map showing the location of a fixed fey portal in northern Rashemen and a note about how the portal activates. Then there is a feywild map to the hags' location with a warning that it may not be trustworthy. Finally, a map from the portal to the meeting place in the mountains near Narfell. Risa believes that it is the same as the location of the Nagpa's hideout she saw in Qai's memories. The party takes a side trip to Risa's monastery to check on Qai and get some good booze. Caeli buys some more dye for her hair and skin and some old robes, now she looks like a monk like Risa. They ride on to Two Stars the next day.
Eleint 15
Jaerlethket meets Caeli and teleports her away to the same farmstead they used for training before. This is a shorter session, as he casts spells at a target and has her decide if they are enough of a threat to require Counterspell. They discuss more spell tactics and usage of her sorcerer abilities.
Eleint 17
The party arrives in Two Stars and heads to the Burning Sheep Inn. Walking into the common room, Thorn smells tabaxi and three tabaxi sitting at a table spot him, jump up and yell "Clan-brother" in Tabaxi and run to greet him. The tabaxi are distant clan relations of Thorn's, two rangers Coursing River and Leaf on the Wind, and a sorcerer, Rhythm of Life. They explain they were sent to follow and help Thorn capture Cadence and return to the survivors of the clan. Thorn explains Cadence is dead and he has recovered the Obsidian Fang. The tabaxi are excited, they will escort Thorn home so the artifact can be hidden again. Thorn protests, saying he has learned how to destroy it. The tabaxi are unmoved, the Fang cannot be destroyed, their clan histories say so. Thorn is adamant, they suggest he could return with them to explain to the clan elders. They end up going to the tabaxis' room in the inn to discuss it, Risa and Kiri accompany Thorn. Thorn doesn't give them details of the destruction but tries to convince them a side trip to Aglarond is out of the question. Kiri agrees, she is going to Mulsantir to return the Harp as a top priority. Thorn cast Zone of truth and gets River's reluctant agreement that Thorn should continue to Rashemen. They leave the tabaxis' room.
Mirag is settled in the stables, Andre and Thorn are in one room, the women in another. Not being entirely trusting, Thorn takes first watch and Andre second in their room, Risa, Caeli, and Kiri will take turns in their room. After Thorn has gone to sleep, the tabaxi sorcerer Rhythm appears in their room and Subtle Casts Hold Person, freezing Andre. She turns to Thorn and immobilizes him as well and starts to search him for the Fang. But Andre shakes off the spell and shouts for help before she can immobilize him again. With the party alerted and out of spells, she casts Gaseous Form and sinks through the floor. The party runs around the inn trying to find any of the tabaxi. They find a piece of paper with a tabaxi word in their empty room, but no sign of them. The party sweeps around to the front door of the inn, but there is no sign of them. Thorn is shown the note, it simply says "Sorry". The party decides to run, they grab their gear, put on armor and saddle the horses and ride out in the middle of the night. The city gates are closed, but after a bribe, the guards open a postern gate for them to squeeze through. Mirag flies over the wall, and the party leads their horses through the small opening. Andre's steed barely squeezes through and once outside, it looks back over its shoulder at the guards and drops a big turd. They ride away into the night.
Silly Quotes and Smart Remarks
Discussing how to make people less frightened of Mirag's dragon form
Sam "If someone wants to ride Jack, they can"
Jim "That sounds dirty"
Jack wasn't feeling well and signed in to play online without telling me ahead of time. JoAnne walked in for the explanation
Jack "I can feel the disapproval"
Jim "She has her disapproving mom look"
Sam "That's the 'they can still go to school' look"
Discussing the soul transfer spell and keeping the soul gem away from the Nagpa
Katya "I could swallow the gem"
Jack "Swallowing your friend's soul is not soul food"
The tabaxi are arguing that Thorn needs to return the Obsidian Fang to be hidden again by his clan
Evan (?) "When you've killed a Red Wizard, we can talk"
